Category Archives: business value

BVPS, SPs, Fun and Pareto – A few ideas toward better agile

Better Let’s agree on a few things: The most important thing (that we will discuss) is a better life.  For each of us, for the Team, for our customers, for the organization, and more broadly.  And, we think better agile will help that. There is no doubt in my mind that we, virtually every team, […]

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Feature Usage Statistics

What we knew before My own experience says: Some of the most important features are not requested up-front Many of the features requested are seldom, if ever, used. This implies MUCH lower ROI on these features This implies that the most IMPORTANT features are seriously delayed by building the low-to-zero value features Only a small […]

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Agile Carolinas: Open Space Topic – Agile Transformation

Agile Carolinas has recently had some awesome meetings on this topic of Agile Transformation. Now we want to do an Open Space event on the subject.   Topics might be: * Dealing with middle-level resistance * Getting stable teams * Getting teams set up well for success (the team, the product vision, the situation) * […]

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A resource for Business Analysts

Here is a new resource for business analysts. In general, this is a very important skill set and we do not give it sufficient attention in Agile, in my opinion. Yes, there are issues. The people who have been business analysts are good people. Yes, we do not want a special role (especially as a […]

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Is the PO full-time?

“Is the Product Owner a full-time position?” This is a good question. Here’s a partial answer now… First, people and teams typically get more done if things are simpler. So, KISS!!!! This is so important. Do you have to keep it KISS every time? Well, no, at least not to play by the Scrum rules […]

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Wide-Band Delphi Estimation for Business Value – 3

This is the third in a series of three.  See Part 1 and Part 2. ____________________________ How can we use the BV points? We could organize the Product Backlog strictly by BVPs, at least initially. In fact, I recommended this, to see patterns or to make any mistakes obvious.  Put the story cards in rows […]

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Agile Contracts

Jeff Sutherland did a presentation at Agile 2013 that I think everyone should read and think about.  And read and think about again. Here is the slide deck: http://jeffsutherland.com/Agile2008MoneyforNothing.pdf

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The ScrumButt Test (5): A prioritized Product Backlog is essential

We started a series on The ScrumButt Test some time ago. This is the fifth explanatory post about the test. To find the others, search above (right). Here is the original post. The second item in the second section of the ScrumButt Test is this: “There is a product backlog prioritized by business value” Seem […]

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Squirrel!!

The movie Up! is pretty good. A cartoon, with bits adults can enjoy. My kids were watching and I was also, out of the corner of my eye. There was one scene: the ‘bad dogs’ are in airplanes chasing the good guys. And someone yells: “Squirrel!” The bad dogs wreck their airplanes going after the […]

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Advice from an experienced successful PO

I was doing a course with Dave Muldoon in Ottawa. And Rich O’Grady visited us. He had become a very successful product owner in a difficult environment where others had failed.  He mentioned 6 ‘top tips’ that day, and then he wrote me explaining them a bit more.  What he wrote was pretty much what […]

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